Len Stevens

In 1965, Broadcast Pioneers member Leonard Stevens co-founded WPHL-TV, Channel 17, Philadelphia. He merged that Company with the AVC Corporation of Wilmington, Delaware in 1967. This enabled him to build KEMO-TV, Channel 20, San Francisco (where he was involved with the Mt. Sutro multi-station tower project); WXIX-TV, Channel 19, Cincinnati; WPGH-TV, Channel 53, Pittsburgh; and WATL-TV, Channel 36, Atlanta. Most are Fox Affiliates today.

Stevens became Executive Vice President for Operations for this five-station group known as U.S. Communications, a subsidiary of AVC. 1,000 foot towers were built for these stations, all of which became much-needed collateral profit centers for what were then fledgling UHF operations.

In 1972, the AVC Corporation sold off the Stations to such companies as Metromedia, Meredith Publishing, The Providence Journal, and the Chicago Tribune Company. In these transactions, Len Stevens and his family formed Wireless Towers and Systems, Inc. (Wireless) and retained the 1020’ tower in Philadelphia’s “antenna farm” with WPHL-TV, Channel 17, and Channel 12, WHYY-TV and seven FM stations as lead tenants. Thus, the sale of the above five major market TV stations triggered Leonard Stevens’ full-time entry into development, management and leasing of tower sites.

In subsequent years, Wireless (Stevens was also President) diversified into the ownership of Specialized Mobile Radio Services (SMRS) in Philadelphia, South Jersey and Atlantic City. These systems were sold to Nextel in 1998. In 2005 Nextel purchased the remaining SMR facilities in Jacksonville, West Palm Beach and Miami, Florida. In 1986, he and his family sold WWDB, Philadelphia’s premiere talk FM station, and in 1989, WHAT, Philadelphia’s first 100% black programmed radio station. The last of Stevens’ broadcasting properties, WPBR in Palm Beach, Florida, was sold early in 1994. The Towers were retained.

Mr. Stevens is currently active in the following enterprises:

1) President, TOWER ECONOMICS COMPANY, INC. (TEC) Incorporated in 1980, this Company manages and markets over one hundred and fifty prime tower and strategic rooftop antenna sites east of the Mississippi. TEC also does consulting and appraising work for radio and TV stations and municipalities in connection with construction and sale of towers and leasing antenna space on new and existing towers as well as WI-MAX. TEC’s core area is SE Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Northern Delaware in which it also engages in selective “build to suit” activities, but TEC also owns and manages towers and rooftops in 14 other states.

2) President, MORGAN TOWER, INC., which is the principal lessee of the rooftop tower communications facility of Chestnut Hill Tower (formerly The Morgan House) in Chestnut Hill. This is one of the area’s most successful antenna sites. Morgan Tower leases these facilities to blue-chip wireless communications tenants.

3) President, TANTAMOUNT TOWERS CORPORATION FLORIDA. Owns and operates two commercial telecommunications towers in Palm Beach/Lake Worth, Florida.

4) President, DANDYLION TOWERS OF GEORGIA, LLC. This company commenced operations in 2005 with the completion of two 250’ wireless towers on land leased from the Federal Government at Ft. Benning, GA. “Hotel” Tower is fully leased to six (6) cellular carriers. “Bravo” Tower has had four (4) since it was built.

Recent Divestiture

Former President, WIRELESS TOWERS AND SYSTEMS, INC. This Company was engaged in two operations – leasing space on an 1100 foot tower in the Philadelphia “antenna farm” (which Stevens built in 1965 when he started Channel 17) and a second tower application which was for the largest tower in the “farm”, 1549 feet above sea level. Both the existing 1100 foot tower and the Philadelphia Zoning Board’s permit for the second (candelabra) tower were sold to American Tower Company in 2001. The new TV tower was designed primarily for digital HDTV antenna systems.

Stevens developed the original Channel 17 - 1100 Ft. structure into a solidly profitable entity with various TV, FM, landmobile, paging, cellular, PCS and microwave leases totaling annually over $1,100,000 in long term rentals when sold to American Tower in 2001. His personal specialty is broadcast tower leasing and now cellular.

All companies are operated from offices owned by TEC in Cinnaminson, New Jersey.

From the official archives of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia
Photo and bio originally donated by Broadcast Pioneers member Len Stevens
© 2010, Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia
All Rights Reserved

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